Direct seat

[hanp]

I dbl. I think it's too weak a hand for 1NT.

I can live with overcalling 1NT though.

 

I agree that dbl is much safer than 1NT. People just auto double every 8 count while they need 10+ for redoubling.

I also don't see how running to the best suit is difficult after dbl. Partner will bid his 5carder, 4♥ or better minor in that order. No problems here.

Actually, I agree that we would get to 2H but not as quickly.

 

If our double gets redoubled partner should pass with 2 4-card suits. We can then bid 1NT to ask partner to bid his cheapest. If partner bids 2C we can bid 2D, and if partner bids 2D we can bid 2H. That way we always get to hearts when partner has 4 hearts and a 4-card minor.

[jdonn]

I honestly don't know where to go from here.

Well, you could join in the construction game and show us some hands where you think a takeout double will work well.

Not particularly tempting, sorry.

[phil_20686]

If you start with a double and the auction goes something like

 

 

1s x 2s 3d

p/3S ?

 

are you not end played into passing when you could easily be making game? At least 1NT avoids that (quite serious) pitfalls. (I consider it endplayed as where i live bidding 3n now would show a hand too strong to bid 1NT initially). Things are a little better if your play lebensophl over 4th seat interference like here, but that means giving up the scrambling 2N which is also pretty useful. I also think that dble can be a nightmare when partner is say 5-4 in the minors and decideds to bid 2N to scrable over 2s and you end up in your 4-3.

 

I thought dble was much worse than 1n or passing, but i have had few sucesses entering here with marginal 1nt overcalls, particularly when my spade stop is so susceptible to a simple duck :)